Seasons Change
by swarklesinstorybrooke
Summary: "Some things, Miss Swan, are out of our control. Unstoppable. To force yourself into thinking you can somehow change the inevitable, or prolong its outcome is… a mistake." A snapshot of Emma and Regina's relationship and how it changes over the course of a year.
1. Autumn

**A/N: Hey! This is just a little 4-chapter thing I've worked on. It's sort of inspired by the book 'One Day', with each of the chapters focusing on a different day across a year.**

**Hope you Enjoy!**

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The October after the defeat of the wicked witch of the west and the restoration of Henry's memories, Emma Swan had begun to settle back into her old routine as Storybrooke's sheriff. Such a small town and no immediate threat of dark magic meant that her job was relatively straightforward, and most days were spent sat behind her desk wishing away the hours until she could return to her home - a new apartment with Henry. This particular day, however, was different than most.

It was Emma's birthday; the anniversary of the day she first arrived in this town, and the day she first met Henry. The day that she used to dread had became a day to look forward to, and she seemed to spend most of the day with her head absent-mindedly in her hands, sneaking glances at the clock every few minutes or so to see when she could leave for her party at Granny's.

At around 1pm, however, the door to the sheriff's station opened. Emma sighed, and stretched her neck a little after lifting it from the desk.

"I'm glad to see you take your sheriff's duties so seriously." Emma recognised the voice immediately as belonging to Regina, and shifted in her chair so she was sat up straight. While their relationship had grown significantly in the past months, so much so that she considered them friends, the presence of the woman still made her tense.

"Regina. What can I do for you?" Emma extended politely, frowning as she spotted a small box in Regina's hand.

"Happy birthday." Regina ignored the question, placing the box down in front of Emma. She opened it to find a small red velvet cupcake inside, and was a little taken aback by it.

"..Thanks. That's kind of you." Emma was suspicious of the woman's intentions; sure that there was a ton of paperwork heading her way shortly. The sight of the cupcake, however, took Emma back to her birthday a couple of years before, and her wish to spend her birthday with someone. This one was no different, and she found herself itching to ask the mayor to stay for a while.

"Do you want to stay for a while? We can split the cupcake." Emma suggested, smiling at her son's other mother.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea.."

"Come on, if we can share a son we can sure as hell share a cupcake." Regina snorted slightly at Emma's comment, and the sound was so foreign to the blonde that she decided that her new goal was to elicit it from Regina regularly.

"Very well, dear." Regina sat on the chair on the opposite side of the desk, and watched as Emma split the cupcake in half before placing her section into her mouth in one piece. "Must you eat so greedily? You act as if you've never tasted food in your life." Regina scoffed at Emma, hiding a smile as Emma's tongue peeked out from between her lips to lick a piece of icing on the corner of her mouth.

"It's not greedy, it's polite! I'm showing my appreciation." Emma insisted, laughing as Regina ate her cupcake so daintily you'd think she was at dinner with the president. "I'm sorry, Madame Mayor, would you like a knife and fork?" Emma teased, as Regina raised a miniscule piece of cupcake to her mouth.

"Pardon me for having manners. I have always held the opinion that you should remain polite and courteous when eating with others."

"Well, thanks for the consideration, but still. It would be nice to see you relax a little for once." Emma insisted, shrugging. "How did you remember? That it was my birthday, I mean."

"Of course I remember. It was the day that…" Regina trailed off. Hers and Emma's new-found friendship rested on the basis that neither of them brought up it's tempestuous beginnings. "Of course I remember." She diverted the topic.

"It's cool of you, though. Sort of unexpected." Emma realised she was travelling into unknown territory and looked down, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I was thinking yesterday." Regina began, appearing to mirror Emma's slight nerves. "About the first time we met. You mentioned how you had wished to not be alone on your birthday, and I thought about you being here by yourself all day. It's remarkable, isn't it, the things that stay with you." Regina attempted to cover up the significance that that particular conversation held for her, and how she had spent her birthdays with almost the exact same sentiment growing up with her mother.

Emma was speechless. Even with her relationships with her family, and the new-found acceptance with them she had been craving for all of her life, the thought of people caring about her and doing things just for _her_ still seemed impossible. "But you… hated me back then."

"I didn't hate you, dear. Truthfully, I was jealous. I felt threatened about your relationship with Henry, with ours being as fractious as it was at the time, and I thought that anger was the best way to deal with it. I've never been one to accept potential rejection well." Regina had a hopeless smile on her face, biting her lip to hide the pain that this conversation was causing her. "My relationship with Henry was so wrought, and all other things aside, I was concerned that he would want to leave me for you."

"And then you let him."

"Some things, Miss Swan, are out of our control. Unstoppable. To force yourself into thinking you can somehow change the inevitable, or prolong its outcome is… a mistake. Nobody can control it, not even me." Regina smiled again. "I did what I had to do. For Henry's sake, and for yours."

"Even at the cost of your own happiness?"

"I'm sure you're aware that I've changed of late, Miss Swan. There is nothing on this earth I value more than the happiness of my child, and… his family. My own happiness should be an afterthought, as it shall be from now on." Regina ended with a tone of resilience, with which Emma rose from her chair and went to sit on the edge of her desk next to Regina.

"You're still doing it, aren't you? You need to allow yourself to be happy, Regina."

"I've never really had much of a chance to, have I?" Regina's face fell, and looked to be on the cusp of crumpling.

"Well, today is a new day." Emma raised the tone of the conversation, "And as your sheriff, it is my personal duty to ensure the well-being of my town's inhabitants." Emma gave a mock-salute, eliciting a chuckle from Regina. "Seriously though, thank you. The fact that you remembered… just thank you." Emma placed one hand on Regina's arm, and gave it a slight squeeze.

"You're welcome, dear."

"You're coming tonight, right?" Emma changed the topic, removing her hand from Regina's arm and returning to her seat on the other side of her desk.

"Oh, I'm not sure.." Regina hesitated; the feeling that she didn't belong with the Charmings' was still resonant, and abundantly clear the more time she spent with them.

"Come on, you have to. It's my birthday wish." Emma smiled at the woman.

"Very well, if you insist." Regina pretended not to be flattered, and swiftly changed the topic of conversation to an anecdote about Henry.


	2. Winter 1

**A/N: I know I said 4 chapters, but (typical me) I've changed my mind, and Winter is now extended into 2 chapters and I've also written a very short epilogue. **

**If there's anything which you would like to see happen in Spring or Summer, write it in the reviews section :)**

**Just a note; Cluedo is a sort of murder mystery board game if they dont have it in your country:p**

**Thanks for all your support for this!**

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For the past couple of months, Henry had became aware of a shift in the relationship between his mothers. It was nothing of particular significance, but the little changes had began to amount to something with the potential in Henry's mind. Stealing glances at each other, conversations almost every day, staying to talk when they dropped Henry off at each other's houses. As much as Henry probably knew it was a pipe-dream, he had always secretly hoped that one day the three of them might become a proper family, and he was starting to suspect that his mothers were hoping it too. So much so, in fact, that he told Emma to come to spend Christmas evening with him at Regina's house.

"I'm not so sure, kid. You're spending the morning with me and your grandparents, I wouldn't want Regina to feel like I was trying to take more of her time." Emma showed reluctance towards Henry's plan. While she secretly wanted nothing more than to spend the day with Henry and Regina, she knew that co-parenting was a difficult business, and was best done if everyone stuck to their set boundaries.

"Come on, mom. She'd love to see you, I know you guys are good friends now. It will be fun!" Henry insisted in a childish manner, and Emma was left yearning for her false memories of Henry growing up.

"Have you asked her?"

"Not yet, but she'll definitely say yes. She likes you." Henry insisted innocently, knowing that those words carried a lot more weight than Emma might consider them to.

After more similar coaxing from Henry, both women agreed, which left Emma walking cautiously down the path to 108 Mifflin Street after dark on Christmas Day. She had dropped Henry off in the early afternoon, with the promise that she would return at 6, and the boy had seemed almost gleeful with anticipation, which Emma was putting down to his first proper Christmas with both his mothers: how it should have been.

Emma had decided to dress up for the occasion. She knew that Regina was a stickler for presentation, and if she couldn't make an effort on Christmas Day then truthfully when could she? The tight mid-thigh length dress she had decided on, however, was rising up uncomfortably as she reached Regina's door, and she found herself aching for her jeans and shirts.

"Miss….. Swan." Regina hesitated midway through Emma's name when she saw her appearance. Emma looked absolutely breathtaking, and Regina mentally noted that this was the first time she had seen her in such a dress, or in fact anything that didn't in some way involve a leather jacket. "It's nice to see that you are actually _capable _of making an effort; all hope is not lost."

"Hey, I try when it matters." Emma quipped, presenting Regina with a bottle of the local store's cheapest champagne. "I know you probably have a lot better, but it's the thought that counts!" she shifted on her feet. "Uh, merry Christmas, by the way."

"You too, Miss Swan. Come on in." Regina opened the door further to allow Emma entrance.

"Still with the 'Miss Swan' business? We're friends, Regina, I'm not your lawyer."

"Thank heavens," Regina smirked sarcastically, before adding an exaggerated "Emma."

The two women entered Regina's front room, where Henry was setting up a game of Cluedo.

"Cluedo?… Really?" Emma seemed unconvinced at the choice of board game.

"I know it's perhaps not in the best taste." Regina considered, referencing her checkered past, "But I employ you as the sheriff of this town, and I want to be sure that your deduction skills are up to scratch."

"Is that fighting talk? Because I'll beat you at any game you throw at me. Bring it on."

"Indeed." Regina raised one eyebrow at Emma, while their son sat grinning excitedly at their exchange.

The three of them sat in Regina's lounge for hours, playing games and enjoying each other's company. Henry excused himself to go to bed at 10pm, a lot earlier than his parents were expecting.

"Exciting day." He shrugged after their confusion, "Night moms." He kissed them both on the cheek in turn, before leaving the two of them in their own company.

"Another drink?" Regina offered, opening up another bottle of wine.

"Why not." Emma invited it, holding her glass over to Regina with a slight shake in her hand.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot." Regina got up abruptly, crossing over to the sideboard and picking up a gift wrapped object.

"I thought we said we weren't getting each other gifts?" Emma scolded her, before pulling a wrapped rectangular-shaped object out of her own bag. "I got you something anyway too, though."

"Must you always disobey me, Emma?" Regina added in a tone of mock-derision.

"Ehh, only when it suits me."

"You go first." Regina insisted, and Emma passed the small box over to Regina.

"If you don't like it, it's cool. But I saw it and it reminded me of you." Emma began to ramble as Regina carefully untied the ribbon and opened the box to reveal a pair of diamond earrings. Regina gasped at the sight of them, and immediately began to contest them.

"No, Emma, this is too much. They must have cost you a fortune!"

"It was nothing: my boss is pretty generous when it comes to my salary." Emma teased Regina, "besides, you deserved it. Classy gift for a classy lady." Regina got up from her seat, and Emma was immediately enveloped in an unexpected but appreciated hug. After a second or two, Emma began to run her hand up and down the small of Regina's back.

"Thank you." Regina whispered into Emma's ear, and she got the feeling that it was about more than the earrings; noting a mist in Regina's eyes as she pulled away. "Time for your present now. It didn't cost me anything like I can imagine these did, but…"

Emma picked up her own package with a little flurry of excitement in the pit of her stomach, and, tearing of the wrapping paper in a nod to the careful and precise way Regina had just done the very same thing, her heart stopped in her chest as she read the 2 words on the front of the book she had received.

"Our son."

"Regina, what is…"

"Open it." Regina cut Emma off, sitting down on the couch just a few inches from the woman.

Emma opened the book and was confronted with pictures of Henry. His entire life; from the day Regina brought him home. Each picture had a caption next to it of the event, the date, and other notes about it. Emma turned each page slowly, marvelling in this treasure of a life that she hadn't been a part of. She could feel tears rising in her throat as Henry began to age before her eyes; something that she hadn't been able to experience first-hand.

"I know it's no substitute for the real thing, but I wanted to give you as much as I could." Regina almost whispered this, self-conscious as Emma ran her hands over the pictures and side decorations that Regina had spent months painstakingly putting together. She had been working on this scrapbook since well before Emma's birthday, but had wanted to save it until she was absolutely sure it was perfect.

After more time spent examining the book in a stunned silence, Emma reached the last page. It was a photo of the three of them; her, Regina and their son, taken a few weeks before by Leroy on an indiscriminate trip to Granny's. Henry was sat in the middle, grinning, while Emma and Regina sat either side of him, with Emma ruffling her son's hair and Regina staring at him, seemingly laughing at something Emma had said. The caption underneath read 'And many more to come. Merry Christmas.' Emma began to seriously cry now, tears for her son, for the life she missed, and for the kindness that Regina had shown her by opening up her life for her.

Regina panicked, and attempted to take the book from Emma. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you. I'll keep it."

"No." Emma interrupted, keeping her grip on the book. "This is… perfect. I just can't believe you'd do something like this for me."

"Emma, as hard as it may be for you to believe, I care about you a great deal." Regina paused. "It pains me to think that you didn't get to experience what I did of Henry growing up, and I wanted to share my experience with you."

"Talk me through it." Emma leant her head onto Regina's shoulder, and the brunette lifted her arm so Emma's head was tucked under it. "Please." Emma sniffed, pulling the book so that it was halfway on each woman's lap.

The two of them spoke for the entire night; Regina talking through each picture in as much detail as she could give, often stopping mid-way to tell another story which linked in. Emma didn't move from Regina's side the whole time, and neither of them moved the next morning when Henry got up early the next morning to see them in the same position, with Emma tucked tightly into Regina's side.

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**A/N: Reviews are always appreciated! *hint hint***


	3. Winter 2

**A/N: Hello again! This chapter is a little bit shorter than the last one, so sorry about that:p**

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After that night, Emma and Regina purposefully kept a safe distance from one another. Both were battling with their feelings for each other in secret, with the two of them still completely oblivious to the fact that the other felt exactly the same way.

On New Year's Eve, Emma had made begrudgingly agreed to go out with Ruby, and Regina had agreed to let Snow and Charming have Henry for the night; a move which put her firmly in the pair's good books. Regina herself had decided to have a night in by herself - never being one for over the top displays of excitement - and went to Granny's in the early evening to have a quiet drink.

Soon after sitting down in her usual seat at the counter and receiving her drink, Regina's quiet plans were interrupted by the sound of raucous laughter and loud rock music coming from above her head.

"What on _earth _is that?" Regina directed towards Granny.

"That," Granny's face showed a look of displeasure and slight disgust, "is Ruby and your Emma. They decided to get an early start."

"Excuse you, Miss Lucas, but Emma is most certainly **not **mine."

"Hey, I'm not judging. But whatever she is to you, she's getting on my last nerve. Go and sort her out, will you?"

"Very well. I shall take her home."

"Thank the heavens!" Granny exclaimed to nobody in particular, as Regina got up from her seat.

As Regina reached the upstairs of the bed and breakfast, she heard the same laughter, and occasional spluttering coming from one of the rooms.

"Good god, Emma. It's not even 7pm. What is wrong with you?" she exclaimed upon entering, and seeing Emma curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, empty bottle clutched to her chest.

"It's called having fun. Not that you'd know, Miss Grumpy Pants." she snorted, and Ruby joined in.

"I'm taking you home. Get up right now, Miss Swan."

"Sorry, _mom._" Emma continued to laugh, attempting to get to her feet but swaying a little, and being caught with Regina placing one of her arm's around the blonde's shoulders.

"You're coming to my house with me. I can't leave you alone like this." Regina sighed at Emma, who was stumbling on her feet as Regina supported her.

"Ooh, you're taking me home with you? Be gentle with me." Emma smirked, stroking Regina's face continuously and childishly with one hand as they exited the bed and breakfast.

"Ah, I see charming is the family trait." Regina tried not to laugh at Emma, who as it turns out was a very charming drunk.

"You're so good to me, 'Gina." Emma sighed as they arrived at Regina's house. "You look after me, and you make me nice things, like at Christmas. You're my best friend."

Regina smiled to herself as she opened her front door. "Well, thank you dear. Flattery will get you nowhere, however, when you're in this state."

Emma ignored her, and continued to verbalise every single thought she was having. "You're really smart too. And you're a good mom. And you're hot." Regina raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Like, really hot." As Regina guided Emma up the stairs, she made the rash decision to allow Emma to sleep in her bed with her. Emma began to sing the song 'My Best Friend's Hot' to herself, and Regina once again had to stifle a laugh.

"You really are nauseating, Emma. Now come on, get into bed." At the mention of bed, Emma began to strip, pulling her jeans off and throwing them on the floor.

"What in god's name are you doing? Just sleep in your clothes, Miss Swan!" Regina scolded the women through splutters of laughter, and realised that sleeping next to Emma tonight was going to take every ounce of self-control she had available to her.

As soon as Emma was lying in bed, Regina decided to tuck her in, in much the way she had done to their son while he was growing up. After pulling in the blankets so they were tight around the other woman, she placed a glass of water on the table next to the bed and turned to go downstairs.

"Wait, where are you going?" Emma sat up, with a dejected look on her face.

"It's 7:15pm, Miss Swan. I'm most certainly not going to bed yet. Now, goodnight. I will be in in a few hours." Regina sighed, closing the door behind her.

She was fully aware that putting Emma in her bed was a mistake. It was, at the very least, an error in judgment on her part to allow someone that inebriated into her bed, especially when she wasn't sure she would have the willpower to continue to spurn her advances.

Too nervous to return to bed until she absolutely had to, Regina sat in her office, reading a book and drinking from an intentionally small glass of wine until she saw the clock strike 11pm, and she decided to return to her bedroom. The light was off, and she spotted Emma lying in a star-fish position across the middle of the bed, with the blankets tossed on the floor.

"Of course." Regina exhaled, taking her nightgown and going to get changed in the bathroom. Upon her return, she decided that she would sleep in a guest room, and went to take the essentials from her night stand.

"What are you doing?" Emma exclaimed sleepily, squinting through half open eyes and still slurring her words a little.

"Seeing as you have insisted on sleeping so haphazardly in the middle of my bed, I am taking a guest bedroom for the night."

"No, don't. I'll move." Emma pulled herself over to the side of the bed where she had started, and lay on her side so that she was facing Regina as she too got into bed. "What's the time?" Emma asked, once again channelling a small child.

"A little after 11." Regina responded, pulling the blankets up over herself and smoothing down her hair on her pillow.

"Is it too early for my New Year's kiss?" Emma questioned, a little earnestly, but still slurring her words.

"You can't be serious." Regina frowned at her. "With you like this?"

"It's New Year's!" Emma justified, "it's the law!"

"I don't think that's the best idea. Not with you like this." Regina applauded her own self-control.

"But not never?"

"As I said, not tonight. Goodnight, Emma." Regina closed her eyes and settled down into her pillow.

The next morning, Regina rose fairly late, and was sat down at the counter in the kitchen eating breakfast and drinking a cup of coffee, when Emma entered. Frankly, she looked like death warmed up, with her hair sticking up in random tufts and a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"Well good morning, Miss Swan. Aren't we looking chipper." Regina teased her, looking at her from under her eyelashes, keeping her head bent down.

"Yeah, uh, sorry. I don't really remember… but think I probably need to apologise. I can be a bit of a handsy drunk."

"That's certainly one way of putting it." Regina chuckled at Emma, as the woman groaned at the sight of Regina's breakfast.

"But I didn't… kiss you, or anything?" Emma tried to downplay her panic.

"I can assure you, Miss Swan, there was to be none of that on my watch. Although it wasn't for lack of trying.." Regina hinted, as Emma placed her head in her hands.

"Sorry. Again."

"Apology accepted." Regina smiled politely at the woman. "Happy new year, Emma."

"Happy new year."

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**A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	4. Spring 1

**A/N: Another shorter one - sorry about that! Thanks for all the support again, it's very much appreciated:p**

**Enjoy!**

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To say the next couple of weeks had been awkward for the pair was an understatement. However, by the March of that year Emma and Regina's relationship had settled back into what it was before Christmas. Neither woman had commented on that night, or on Emma's behaviour at New Year's, and Henry was growing frustrated at the lack of progress in their relationship.

One bright morning, as the chill started to lift from the air, Henry announced that he wanted to go for a picnic.

"Aren't you a little old for that kind of thing, kid?" Emma frowned at the suggestion, suspecting that Henry, as usual, had an ulterior motive.

"I'm never too old to spend some time with my moms." Henry responded jokily, before being grabbed by Emma who gave him a hug so tight he fought to escape.

"You're a good kid, Henry." Emma chuckled into his hair, "you sort out the food, though, and make it good."

Later that day, after leaving the sheriff's station in the care of her father, Emma walked to Henry's castle to meet with him and Regina. She, like her son, was a little upset at the lack of progress in hers and Regina's relationship. After Christmas night, she thought that maybe something would happen; it was impossible to ignore the significance of Regina's gift and the suggestions that the last comment seemed to hold. Unfortunately though, Emma's uncharacteristic shyness around the mayor in her sobriety had prevented her from doing anything about her feelings, and so she had continued to shield her growing attraction to the woman.

Crossing over to a patch of grass to the side of Henry's castle, Emma smiled warmly at the sight of the object of her affections perching reluctantly in the middle of a picnic blanket, with a characteristic frown on her face.

"Where is Henry?" Regina asked as Emma crossed over to her.

"I thought he was coming with you?" Emma frowned as she lowered herself to the ground, crossing her legs as she did so.

"He told me he had something to do. I _assumed _he'd be with you." Regina noted with a deadpan expression.

"Well you _assumed_ wrong." Emma misguidedly teased. "Oh look, he's texted me." Emma shifted under Regina's gaze, clicking on the new message alert on her mobile. " ' Sorry moms,' " she read aloud, "I forgot a really important homework project. Have the picnic without me. Henry xx' Unbelievable." Emma laughed slightly, replacing her phone in her pocket.

"You don't think he planned this, did he?" Regina asked, her brow furrowing at the idea that her son might have caught on to her feelings towards Emma.

"If I were a betting woman, I'd put money on it…" Emma laughed again at the audacity of their son, before opening the picnic basket and taking a plate. "Well, we're here now."

"That we are." Regina sighed, as she too took a plate and began to fill it with food. "I shall be having words with him about this when I get home."

"Is my company really that unbearable to you?"

"Perhaps," Regina responded drily, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile so alluring Emma could feel her breath catch in her throat.

"I love you too…" Emma added sarcastically, before coughing uncomfortably at the marked truth in her words. Regina too shifted in her position. "You, uh, alright over there?" Emma questioned, giving Regina a frowned look.

"Perfectly fine, dear. The ground is just a little uneven. I shall have to speak to somebody about flattening it out."

"That would be because you're normally sat up there," Emma explained, "watching your subjects from high above."

"Very amusing." Regina gave a slight sarcastic laugh, and as they continued their conversation both women noted internally the shift that had once again occurred in their relationship. It had been a lifetime since either of them was so comfortable around another person, and the flow of their conversation felt so relaxed and unforced that it was difficult for them not to continue it for hours.

Conversation eventually turned to their first impressions of each other.

"Well, I have to say I was surprised when I first saw you." Emma admitted, as Regina cocked an eyebrow as if to invite her to continue her thought, "I'd been told to expect the evil queen, I was expecting someone a little more… evil looking." Emma smiled, as her mind cast back to the attraction felt deep within her at her first glimpse at the other woman.

"Are you insinuating I can't be a formidable presence? Because I can assure you, my dear, you have no idea what I'm capable of." Regina echoed her own words from years before, this time conveying them in a tone so brewing with innuendo it was impossible for them not to be interpreted in an entirely different manner.

"I have no doubt about that." Emma smiled at Regina, "That's not to say I didn't think you were uptight, though, don't worry. I thought you were a major control freak." Emma offered by way of comfort. "So come on, what did you think of me?" she asked.

"Truthfully?"

"You're speaking to an officer of the law. I'm expecting the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

"I hated your jacket from the first moment I saw it." Regina admitted, pointing a finger in the direction of Emma's trusty leather jacket, folded neatly next to her.

"You've _got _to be kidding. It's a classic!" Emma sounded horrified, hitting Regina lightly on the arm.

"My hatred for it is the only thing classic about it, Emma, that I can assure you."

"Well, it's all coming out now!" Emma exclaimed in a horrified manner, and signalled for Regina continue, silencing herself and absent mindedly picking at the grass to the side of her.

"I thought you were… attractive, admittedly." Regina smiled to herself, avoiding Emma's gaze. "Brash, headstrong, at times downright idiotic. I couldn't deny, however, that at times I felt a certain… I felt drawn to you. You reminded me of myself, possibly more than I cared to admit, and there was always a part of me that wished we could have met under different circumstances."

"You're glad we did though? Meet." Emma clarified.

"Of course, Emma. Our friendship is something which I've grown to value very highly in my life, especially in the past couple of months."

"Me too." Emma smiled once again at Regina, this time pausing to ensure that she caught Regina's gaze directly. "You're very important to me, Regina. Henry or no Henry."

Regina felt herself almost begin to blush under Emma's watchful gaze, and so she distracted herself by picking up her wine glass and beginning to refill it, before doing the same to Emma's.

"Only half full?" Emma questioned as Regina finished filling her glass.

"I do not want a repeat performance of New Year's. As charming as you may be while under the influence, I'm not ready for another drunken lunge just yet."

"Probably a good idea. What are we toasting?" Emma asked, taking her glass back from Regina.

"The future. And whatever it may bring."

"To the future." Emma echoed, clinking her own glass against Regina's.

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**A/N: Don't forget to review!**


	5. Spring 2

**A/N: A very short one I'm afraid! This story is wrapping up now - just a chapter of Summer and a very short epilogue to go.**

**Thanks for all the favourites/follows/reviews!**

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Throughout the spring, Henry had began, in the loosest sense of the word, dating. Him and Grace had been seeing each other more outside of school, and his mothers were beginning to pick up on it. One night, Regina had been making what she thought were ambiguous hints about the topic. On the subject of love, however, Regina's hints were about as subtle as a 10-tonne truck, and Henry had quietly been working up the courage to mention it to her.

"I think me and Grace are going to Granny's tomorrow evening." he dropped casually into conversation, immediately turning bright red and distracting himself by pushing food round his plate.

"I see." Regina responded calmly, "A date? Don't you think you're a little young?"

"No, I'm not too young. Not that it's a date…" Henry covered his tracks, fiddling with his hair in much the same way as Regina had noticed Emma doing in her presence.

"That's fine by me, Henry. You're just growing up so fast.." Regina noted uncharacteristically wistfully, smiling at him across the table. "Let me call your mother over to see if she agrees."

"Ma, you don't need to do that!" Henry was horrified at the idea of having to be subjected once again to this conversation.

"She's your mother too; she needs to be involved in decisions such as this!" Regina dismissed him, already dialling Emma's number off by heart on the phone.

Emma rushed over to Regina's house. She'd made it sound important, and Emma's mind immediately went to the 'something is seriously wrong' place.

"Ah, Emma. Our son has something to ask you." Regina greeted her, and signalled for Henry to continue.

"Uhh.. Can I go out with Grace to Granny's tomorrow night?"

"A date?!" Emma seemed shocked, but the big grin on her face proved otherwise. "Aw, Regina, our little boy, all grown up and going on dates!" Emma teased him, pulling him in for a hug.

"Momm!" Henry whined, regretting that he ever thought mentioning this was a good idea.

"Of course, your mother or I will have to come along."

"No, you don't!" Henry insisted.

"We won't embarrass you dear, don't worry, but I'd like one of us to be present, regardless."

"Or both of us?" Emma cocked an eyebrow at Regina, smiling flirtatiously.

"Right, then it's decided. Emma and myself will observe from a safe distance." Regina announced, with a mocking tone in her voice that didn't go un-noticed by Emma, evoking a chuckle from her. Henry relented, realising that, while purposefully embarrassing for him, this may be the perfect opportunity for his moms to spend some more quality time together.

The three of them arrived 5 minutes earlier than Henry's arranged time the next night, although Grace was already there.

"God, she's keen!" Emma laughed as they walked up to the counter, and Henry scuttled off to sit with her.

"You're very enthusiastic about this, Emma. Aren't you as alarmed about this as I am?" Regina asked as they ordered.

"That's because I'm the cool mom," she joked, "You're supposed to be the worrier."

"Charming.."

The two women sat down a couple of tables back from Henry and Grace, with Regina being sure to take a seat that enabled her to keep an eye on them at all times.

"Hey, will you just relax a little?" Emma instructed Regina, who had been sat up straight with her eyes focused on the pair since they'd sat down. "The kid's already nervous as hell, don't go freaking him out even more with your eyes on him!"

"Are my eyes 'freak out' inducing, dear?" Regina accused, raising an eyebrow at the woman.

"They can be a little… intense when you want them to be. Just relax, have a good time with me."

"I always have a good time with you, Emma. But not when you try and tell me what I can and cannot look at." Regina raised the corners of her mouth in a sarcastic smile, and took a sip of her wine.

"Lady, you have a good time with me anyway." Emma flirted.

"_Always_" Regina winked in a movement that Emma felt right down in the pit of her stomach, before refilling Emma's already empty glass from the bottle in the middle of the table.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk, Madame Mayor.."

"Perhaps I am." Regina raised her eyebrow again, staring into Emma's eyes for just a little too long before looking again over the blonde's shoulder to where their son was talking and laughing with Grace.

"What's happening now?" Emma asked, following Regina's eyes to their target.

"They're just talking. They seem to be having a good time." Regina almost sounded disheartened at the idea of her son having a good time with a girl of his own age.

"Ah, I get it." Emma sighed, "You're jealous. You think that if Henry's going out on dates, he won't have enough time for his mommy any more."

"Is that so awful of me?" Regina chuckled, "I can't deny that I enjoy having him to share only between us. I love spending time with him, I just dread the day he doesn't want to anymore."

"Well, at least we'll have each other." Emma shrugged nonchalantly, leaving the implication of her statement to fester in the air for the rest of the duration of the evening.

"So, how's the town doing?" Emma changed tack, covering up her growing nerves as the night continued, "any big Mayor-al issues?"

"Is this your attempt at small-talk, dear? Because I'm afraid it leaves a lot to be desired." Regina teased. "The town is fine. As the _Sheriff,_ I would hope, would know."

"I'm trying; small-talk has never been something I really excel in."

"I've noticed."

Their evening continued in much this vein until Henry and Grace got up to leave, leading Emma and Regina to do the same.

"So kid, how was it?" Emma asked Henry, hitting him a little too hard on the arm in excitement as they exited the diner.

"It was… fine." Henry once again shielded his face to hide his blushes. "How about you guys? Did you have a nice time?" Henry giggled, turning to watch his mothers walking side by side, sneaking glances at each other.

"It was… fine." Emma replied, imitating her son, glancing once again at Regina, who held her gaze for a couple of seconds before brushing the back of her fingers against Emma's hand.

"Yes, it was." Regina stated, still looking at Emma.

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**A/N: Please review if you have time :)**


	6. Summer

**A/N: So this has reached the end! This is the final proper chapter of Seasons Change, finishing Emma and Regina's year. I'll be uploading a very very short epilogue straight after I upload this too just to wrap it up a bit more.**

**Thank you SO much for all your support :)**

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On a bright, stuffy August morning, Regina woke up with the kind of determination for a plan that she hadn't felt in a very long time. And she needed Henry's help to carry it out.

"Good morning, Henry."

"Morning, ma." he replied, sitting down and beginning to eat the pancakes that Regina had waiting for him.

"I need your help today, if you're up for it."

"To get Emma?" Henry responded casually, as if he was asking her to pass him the milk.

"… Well, yes actually." Regina was stunned at Henry's brazen attitude, and tried to regain composure. "But of course, I can't very well just come out and say it."

"Why not? I know she feels the same way.." Henry smiled, still eating his pancakes in a relaxed manner while his mother sat reeling across from him.

"She does?"

"Sure! I actually have an idea of how you can get her to admit it.. But I'm going to need something from you in return."

"Oh, are you now?" Regina raised an eyebrow at her son.

"Tell me how you feel about her. I need you to convince me that this is a good idea, and you can't do that unless you're honest with me. And I deserve it, after I let go of any chance I had with Grace by letting you two come on a date with me just so you could spend some time together."

"… Very well. I'm in love with your mother, Henry. Very much so. I can't deny that when I first met her I felt a certain.. frisson between us, but I dismissed it as a result of my not so pleasant feelings towards her at the time. And then I changed, and she was so supportive of me. And of you. And I thought…"

"You thought.." Henry tried to hurry her along, and the woman sighed.

"I thought that I had never felt support like that in my life. My priority has always been you, Henry but without me realising, it started to also be Emma, and when I thought I had lost both of you, well, let's just say my life had lost it's meaning. And then you both came back to me, and it dawned on me that I'd been foolish to dismiss my feelings for Emma so easily. I never wanted to let either of you go again. And well, here we are." Regina looked away from Henry, still embarrassed by displays of emotion that left her vulnerable to people.

Henry beamed at Regina, and beckoned her over to him so he could regale his plan on how she could win his mother's affections.

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Later that day, Emma placed two plates of food down on the table for herself and her son, and sat down in the seat opposite him.

"I was thinking maybe tomorrow we could go down to the beach?" Emma made easy conversation as she began to eat her meal, "we could invite your mom, too."

"… She didn't tell you?" Henry questioned, wincing a little at what was coming.

"Tell me what?"

"She… has a date. Tomorrow."

"A date?" Emma's face contorted felt her heartbeat increase rapidly in her chest, and she tried to regain composure by picking up her glass and taking a swift drink from it. "That's, uh, good. For her, I mean. Who with?"

"Why don't you just admit it?" Henry exclaimed, getting tired of his mother's reluctance.

"Admit what?" Emma played down the conversation.

"That you're in love with her!"

"Woah, kid, calm down." Emma coughed and felt herself blush intensely.

"No! It's been months. Months I've spent, watching the two of you act like a pair of children! You're supposed to be the adults, but neither of you had the courage to say how you feel! You've saved hundreds, you've killed people, you've -slayed a dragon-, mom. But you still can't go up to the woman you like and tell her how you feel!" Henry let himself take a deep breath after months of pent-up frustration at his parents' pig-headedness.

"… So what if I did like her?" Emma responded slowly and nervously, embarrassed that it took this long for her son to speak up if he had been so aware of what was going on.

"Then go tell her! Before it's too late!" Henry had taken on his old fairy-tale resilience, and a sense of stubborn-ness Emma was sure he had inherited from Regina. After more coaxing, and a hug for luck from her son, Emma practically ran out of the house, stopping to collect flowers on the way and, after what seemed like an eternity, arriving at 108 Mifflin Street.

Of everything that Emma had experienced in her life, this was inexplicably the event that terrified her the most. The way she felt about Regina had grown to be only second to her love for their son, and the thought of being rejected for a date with another person was almost enough to stop her from going through with it. She pressed on, however, and almost broke into a run as she made her way as quickly as she could down Regina's path.

She knocked on the door violently, before stepping back a few paces as she realised she hadn't actually decided what she was going to say yet.

"… Emma." Regina answered the door with a look of confusion, "what are the flowers for?"

"Erm, you. I think." Emma stuttered, and avoided Regina's gaze in any way that she could.

"Well? Spit it out." Regina smiled, speaking impatiently, as if picking up on the hurried tone of Emma's words.

"A date. A DATE. Really?" Emma questioned in disbelief, frowning.

"You'd better come in, Emma."

"You know what, no. I don't want to come in. You're going on a date!" Emma repeated, still as horrified as she was when Henry had first told her.

"Not that it's any of your business, _Miss Swan,_" Regina emphasised each syllable of her name in exaggerated formality, "but yes I am. I was asked by a man - a very acceptable man, I might add - and I said yes."

"But… why?!" Emma still seemed to be shocked at the audacity of Regina to accept a date from someone other than her.

"Well, what reason did I have not to? It's not like anyone else was asking me to date them, was it?" Regina highlighted in an accusatory manner, reducing her voice significantly as she noted a couple walk by.

"Maybe if you just gave people a chance." Emma looked down, kicking a boot of the corner of Regina's top step.

"Oh, I've given _people _plenty of chances, Miss Swan. It's not down to me if their own idiocy has stopped them from doing something about it before now."

"Maybe people had been waiting for you to make a move? It's not like they hadn't made their feelings fairly clear on New Year's…"

"You were drunk beyond belief on New Year's, Emma! In that state you would have attempted to attract anyone you came into contact with, trust me when I say that."

"Oh, shut up Regina."

"Excuse me?"

"Just… shut up." Emma whispered, before closing the gap between her and the other woman swiftly, taking her in her arms and engulfing her in a passionate kiss. This continued for a few seconds, with the combination of anger and uncontrollable lust revealing itself as Regina's hand ran though Emma's hair and Emma pulled Regina even closer into her own body. A wolf whistle from across the street sprang the two women apart, and Regina smoothed down her hair and wiped a smudge of her own lipstick from the side of Emma's mouth as she beckoned her inside.

"Regina?" Emma asked shakily as she shut the door behind her, finally wishing on herself the courage she'd been lacking for months.

"Yes, dear? Get it out, will you?" Regina appeared exasperated at the woman once again, although Emma could sense that it was merely an attempt to mask her own nerves.

"I… love you. I've been in love with you for a very long time. Probably longer than I've actually realised. I realised the second I got my memories back, and I understood what you'd given up. For me. It was cemented in my head when you gave me the scrapbook for Christmas and I realised that… nothing could ever compare to what you had given me. And I wanted to spend the rest of my life trying to repay you for it, if you'd let me."

Regina stood in silence for a minute, before an uncharacteristic beam spread across her face. "Well, finally." Regina exclaimed, once again closing the gap between the two women.

"Does that mean you…"

"Love you too? Of course, Emma." Regina kissed her once again.

"But you didn't…"

"Tell you? Of course not, where's the fun in that? After spring when you again refused to do anything, I enlisted Henry's help." Regina smiled cunningly at her plan, and the conversation she had had with Henry earlier that morning when she explained what she wanted him to do.

"So, there's no date?" Emma felt a surge of relief rush through her, and a chuckle escape her lips at her over-reaction.

"No, no date. Well, except with you, if you so desire."

"Oh, I desire. I really do."

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**A/N: review review review!**


	7. Epilogue

**A/N: As i said, this is VERY short. And it's really really cheesy too, but i think sometimes it's nice to have a really cheesy ending to a fic:p**

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Emma's birthday had once again rolled around, and she sat in the sheriff's station humming a song to herself as she watched the clock tick idly by. Her gaze lowered from the clock to the photo frame in the middle of her desk; the final page of the scrapbook which Regina had presented her with only a few months before. "And many more to come" Emma read aloud to herself, staring at the picture that accompanied the note as she had done many a time before.

The door to the station opened, and Emma didn't look up from her position.

"What was that, dear?" Regina asked, as she entered the room once again carrying a small cupcake box, before Emma pulled her so she was sat on her lap.

"I love you." Emma responded, placing a sweet kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

Regina's gaze followed Emma's to the cupcake box. "Goodness, what a year it's been." She considered, her mind flashing with memories at the past 12 months.

"We were so stupid, weren't we?" Emma chuckled, "we wasted so long tip-toeing around our feelings. If only we'd said something before, maybe we'd be… well, who knows what we'd be by now."

"You wouldn't change any of it though? Our year."

"Not for anything in the world. It was the best of my life."

"I'm glad." Regina smiled at her, "Why don't you split up the cupcake while I get myself a napkin from my bag."

"God, Regina, you're always so…" the words stopped dead in her mouth when she opened the box, and saw that it wasn't a cupcake looking back at her. Inside the cupcake box was a smaller one, coated in velvet, and when Emma opened it slowly with shaky hands, she was greeted by the sight of a diamond ring.

"Romance is not something which I do well. In fact, it's not a word that appears in my vocabulary. But being with you… you make me want to be romantic. You make me want to be all of these things that frankly I have looked down on all of my life. So I'm going to give it a go… Emma Swan, I love you. Well I should hope you know that by now, but I do. My whole life I've been waiting for acceptance; for somebody to see me for what I truly am, and not the façade which I put on. And then you came along. Some days, it feels to me like loving you and Henry is the only thing which I can do right, and truthfully, it's the only thing I care about doing right for the rest of my life." Regina paused. "Marry me." she whispered, now kneeling awkwardly on the ground at Emma's feet.

After a second of stunned silence, Emma nodded, and gave the ring box to Regina so that she could place it on her finger. As the ring slipped on, she started to laugh.

"What's funny?" Regina looked concerned, still holding Emma's right hand in her own. Emma slid her hand from Regina's, and put a hand into her back pocket, pulling out an almost identical box.

"I was waiting for the right moment." Emma explained, opening the box and presenting Regina with a gold ring, entwined with flashes of red. "You had to beat me to it, didn't you."

"You cannot be serious." Regina laughed, "I spent a lot of time getting this ring right. I even got it to match my earrings, look!" Regina grabbed Emma's hand and held it up to her ear.

"It took me a while, too! I had to get it engraved." Emma showed Regina the inscription on the inside of her engagement ring.

'Regina, my heart's desire.' it read.

"I sincerely hope that wasn't an attempt at mockery." Regina scolded Emma, placing the ring on her own finger as tears misted her eyes.

"It hadn't even crossed my mind."

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**A/N: THE END!**

**Thank you so much yet again for every single person that's read, followed, favourited and reviewed this. You guys are the nicest group of people in the world!**


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